Authorities identify man who shot himself at Hillcrest Hospital

Authorities have released the name of the man who shot himself twice Tuesday afternoon in front of Hillcrest Hospital in Mayfield Heights.

Willis E. Hartshorn, 82, of Chagrin Falls was in critical but stable condition at Hillcrest as of Wednesday afternoon.

When asked, Detective Lt. Chris Sonnhalter of Mayfield Heights Police Department said he was not aware of any relationship Hartshorn may have had with the hospital.

Hartshorn drove himself to the hospital and parked in front of the ambulance bay at 12:46 p.m. He stepped out of the car and shot himself twice with a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol that he had purchased in April, Sonnhalter said.

Advertisement

Hartshorn only shot at himself and did not threaten anyone else.

Randy Stephan, who heads security for Cleveland Clinic hospitals, said it is "difficult, almost impossible to prevent an incident like this when a person's intent is to harm themselves."

Mayfield Heights Police Chief Joseph Donnelly said Hartshorn may have shot himself in imitation of Albert Milstein, who entered Hillcrest Hospital Friday evening and shot his wife, Dorothy Milstein, and then himself.

Friends and neighbors of the Milsteins -- who were both 77 and lived in Lyndhurst -- have speculated that Albert may have killed his wife of more than 50 years because she was sick and he did not want her to suffer anymore.

The hospital has not released why Dorothy Milstein was in the hospital, citing patient confidentiality.

Sonnhalter said Albert had disagreed with the hospital over whether Dorothy was ready to be released. Hillcrest Hospital President Jeff Leimgruber said an appropriate care plan had been arranged for Dorothy with her family.